Parental health literacy in pediatric otolaryngology: A pilot study.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019;
125:87-91. [PMID:
31271973 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.06.029]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Pediatric otolaryngology bears the highest frequency of elective surgical cases in children, but little is known regarding the health literacy of these children's parents. In a questionnaire-based pilot study, we assessed parental health literacy in our pediatric otolaryngology clinic and evaluated its relation to personal demographics. We also evaluated postoperative and diagnosis-based leaflets for readability using validated measures.
METHODS
Parents completed the Short Assessment of Health Literacy-English (SAHL-E) and were defined as low (0-14) or high (>14) literacy based on mean scores.
RESULTS
Fifty parents participated (mean SAHL-E score, 17.6), and all scored >14, indicating proficient health literacy. No differences existed in mean or median scores based on demographics. Continued education after high school was associated with higher scores (P = 0.003) and was the only significant variable in multivariable linear regression. All leaflets were at or below the recommended reading level for public health information.
CONCLUSIONS
Parents generally had high health literacy.
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